Rawda al-Sharifa: A place of love for Muslims

Here was Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, and from here the Muslim nation was born. Here both humans and angels share the same space and time. Here is a 330-square meter piece of land sacred to a billion-and-a-half of the inhabitants of planet earth and they know it as the ‘honorable garden’ (al-Rawda al-Sharifa).

“The Prophet, peace be upon him, said ‘Between my house and my pulpit is one of the gardens of paradise.’ Some say he said ‘my grave’ but it is ‘my house.’ This garden is on the eastern part of the mosque. It is situated between the pulpit and the house of the Prophet.”

This place housed the Prophet for 16 years of his life; every single inch tells a different story about him. Those fortunate enough to reach the garden and pray there recommended that other Muslims follow suit.

“Muslims are advised to pray two ‘rakaas’ in the mosque, preferably in the Rawda and follow it by supplications then visit the prophet’s grave.”

Muslims’ love for al-Rawda al-Sharifa is an extension of their love for their Prophet. He who loves the resident of a house loves the house itself even if this resident is long gone, let alone if the resident was a prophet who before his death chose his grave to be next to his garden.

“Al-Rawda al-Sharifa is the distance between the Prophet’s house and his pulpit. In part of its passes the wall the separates between both. It was part of the Medina Mosque and was adjacent to the pulpit after the extension the Prophet made.”

Even though it is located on earth and everybody is allowed to sit in it, the fact that it is part of paradise is one of the major Islamic beliefs. This is attributed to the fact that the Medina Mosque was the meeting place of humans who would be the dwellers of paradise.